Rail-joint



s. 1. AND F. KACZMAREK.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUN 11. 19m;

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEVE J. KACZMAREK AND FRANK KACZMAREK, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed June 11,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, S'rnvn J. KAGZMAREK and FRANK KAOZMAREK, citizensof the United States, and residents of Toledo, in the county of Lucasand State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Rail-Joint;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has for its object theprovision of a simple and inexpensive joint of this character, which iscapable of being easily and quickly applied to or removed from theadjacent ends of two rails and firmly secured thereto without the use ofbolts or straps.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, andwhile, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerousforms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail jointembodying our invention applied to a pair of end abutting rails. Fig. 2is a perspective view thereof, with one of the rails removed. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the key employed in connection with the joint, andFig. 4 is a plan view of an end portion of a rail, with a part brokenaway.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1 designate railway rails and 2 thesupporting ties therefor.

The rail joint embodying our invention is supported by one or more ties2 beneath the adjacent ends of a pair of rails l and comprises abase-plate 3 having a plurality of pairs of lugs 4. rising therefrom inspaced relation longitudinally of the plate, and with the lugs of eachpair transversely spaced an extent substantially equal to the thicknessof the rail web. The base flanges 5 of the rails are notched adjacent totheir ends, as at 6, in proper position to receive the lugs 4 and permitthe rail web to be inserted down between the lugs of each pair. In thepresent instance, the plate 3 is provided with four pairs of lugs f, twofor each rail, and when interengaged with the Specification of LettersPatent. P te ted De 28, 1920,

1918. Serial No. 239,389.

notches 6 of the rail flanges, cooperatetherewith to prevent other thanlimited longitudinal movements of the rails relative to each other andto the rail joint. It is preferable to make the notches 6 slightly widerthan the lugs 4 to allow for relative contralcting and expandingmovements of the rai s.

A tapered key 7 is employed to secure each rail to the rail joint, suchkey being lnserted into keyways 8 provided in some of the lugs 4 attheir inner edges and immediately above the base flange 5 of a rail,whereby a key inserted into said keyways will act against both the railweb and the respective base flange to firmly secure the rail and jointtogether. A head 9 extends laterally from the outer end of the key andhas its free end bent down around the adjacent. edge of the plate 3 andprovided with an aperture 10 for receiving a spike 11 to adapt the keyto be spiked to a tie when in rail locking position. Each rail joint isprovided with two keys, one for each rail and arranged at opposite sidesof the rails.

It is evident that our improved rail joint may be easily and quicklyapplied to a rail or removed therefrom, and, when in engagement with arail, the lugs 4 cooperate with the walls of the rail notches to preventrelative longitudinal movements of the rails except for the movementthereof necessary to allow for contraction and expansion. It is alsoevident that the rail joint may be quickly secured to a rail by theinsertion of a key 7 between the rail web and one or more of the lugs.

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, arrangement or form of the parts, except in so far as suchlimitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a pair of end abuttin rails having their base flangesnotched substantially to the webs thereof, a base plate subjacent to theabutting rail ends, and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced lugsrising therefrom through the rail base notches at each side of the railweb, some of said lugs having notches forming key seats in their innersides, and keys entering said key seat notches and engaging the adjacentseats in their inner sides keys entering said key seat notches andengaging the adjacent rail Web above its base flange to cooperate withthe lugs to retain the rails and base plate in assembled relation, andmeans proj-eoting through a part of each key to retain the keys in railengaging position.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto signed our names to this secification.

STEVE J. I ACZMAREK. FRANK KACZMAREK.

